OT: help! Son is allergic to my cats:(

[DISNEYNV]

My two year old son has been getting hives on and off for months now. I just took him to see an allergist yesterday and he is allergic to tree nuts, molds, dust, and our three pet cats and my five year olds hamster! I know I should be more worried about the nut thing, but I am more devestated about the cat allergy! I had my one cat before the kids were born and the other two are more recent additions. I don't want to think about giving them up, but my sons health is important and I will do what I have to do even though it will kill me.

Anyway, has anyone sucessfully kept their cats if a child or someone in the household developed an allergy? Can they just be kept out of cerain rooms, etc.? Any suggestions are appreciated. I love my cats!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Keeping them in a separate room won't matter. It is in the air. I have no advice for you other than getting rid of the cats. Good luck.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I can't imagine there is any way to keep cat hair away. Animals go where they want and shed like crazy. Our oldest DD is allergic to cats, dogs, rabbits, so no pets for us. Maybe is there a family member who would take your animals so you can still see them?

 

[The Hendies]

Yup, we put our hands out as if imaginary scales and put our daughter in one hand and the cat in the other. The daughter won! I doubled back to the shelter a week later to inquired about the cat, but they said it was against policy to let former owners know what happened to their cat. He wasn't pretty, since we found him as a tiny kitten nearly frozen several year earlier. He was missing part of one ear (frostbite) and his hair on the side of his face never really came back in, so I have no doubt he was determined to be 'unadoptable'. Our daughters health was our priority.

 

[kellyg403]

We had this issue with our ds with our dog. We had to give her away and while sad, it was something we had to do.

Until you can though you will have to keep the cats in a single place. This won't prevent much though, as another posted, the dander is in the air and most likely not going to go away for months, even after the cats have gone.
Especially if they are free roaming. We had to keep our girl contained and it was just not fair to her, we couldn't let her roam around etc etc. Its best to find them good homes as soon as you can.

to you and your family, it is hard but in the end the best thing you can do for everyone and your furbabies too.

Kelly

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm very allergic to cats, as is ds. I can tell there is a cat in the home within 20 minutes of being there. Unfortunately for me, I'm also allergic to rats, and we have 2 of them. Even if I don't handle them, I still sneeze and itch. I'm sucking it up, since they don't have a long lifespan (and one is dying right now ). However, we won't get them again. I got allergy shots for many years as a child, but it never helped with cats.

 

[Hannathy]

Yes a very good friend of mine has kept her cats (4) with a son who is allergic.

His bedroom is off limits to the cats and there is no carpet in there. she vacuums everyday in the rooms with carpeting. The cats are groomed very frequently. He of course doesn't do the brushing, etc. I'm not sure what else they do when I talk to her I'll ask.

Before getting rid of the cats I would eliminate all the food from his diet and see if that helps the hives. and I'd limit his touching the cats and see if they couldn't live together with limited physical contact and good cleaning.

The hamster would be no problem, just don't let him handle it.

 

[JUJU814]

I'm terribly allergic to cats. I cannot be in the same house as a cat. In less than 30 minutes I'm miserable..it's unbearable for me actually.

It must be very hard for you. I have no other advice other than for your child's comfort and well being, to give the cats away.

 

[okeydokey]

My son had an allergy test at age 5 and he was allergic to our dog, among other things. We started him on allergy shots and advair and he he improved so so much. Last year we repeated the test and his allergic reactions for many things were zero and the ones he was still allergic to are much better. He continues his shots for maybe another 6 months or a year. We just got a puppy this summer and he has had no problem at all.

 

[gacompguy]

I'm terribly allergic to cats. I cannot be in the same house as a cat. In less than 30 minutes I'm miserable..it's unbearable for me actually.

I'll second that... As someone who is allergic to both cats and dogs, I can tell you inside of 60 seconds if someone has one in their house. Years back when I was looking for an apartment, I couldn't even walk in the door of several units because of the dander in the air.

My personal experience with cleaning is that unless the carpet and furniture has been shampooed and the curtains washed, the dander is pretty much everywhere. Unless you're using some kind of HEPA vacuum, you'll only kick up the dander into the air and make things worse.

 

[princessmom29]

I have a cat allergy and didn't realize it until we adopted one. After a year of being sick I had to give her to a friend. It made a huge positive difference in my overall health and how tired/run down I was. Even if the allergy is not severe it is generating a response in your child any time he in around them or comes into contact with their hair/dander ect. I really think the best course of acvtion is to get rid of the cats.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Yes a very good friend of mine has kept her cats (4) with a son who is allergic.

His bedroom is off limits to the cats and there is no carpet in there. she vacuums everyday in the rooms with carpeting. The cats are groomed very frequently. He of course doesn't do the brushing, etc. I'm not sure what else they do when I talk to her I'll ask.

Before getting rid of the cats I would eliminate all the food from his diet and see if that helps the hives. and I'd limit his touching the cats and see if they couldn't live together with limited physical contact and good cleaning.The hamster would be no problem, just don't let him handle it.

While I am a big supporter of changing diets the OP's child has already been tested and shown allergic to cats. Diet will not help that.

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

If it is the dander he is allergic to, keeping them well groomed will help to a degree. There are some sprays you can put on their coat that are supposed to help.

Here's a site that may help
http://www.futurepets.com/cat_allergy.htm

 

[princessmom29]

While I am a big supporter of changing diets the OP's child has already been tested and shown allergic to cats. Diet will not help that.

exactly my thoughts. If he is allergic he will have a response to the cats no matter what he eats!

 

[sherabby]

I'm severely allergic to cats and I can tell you that I cannot walk into someone's home that has a cat. My throat swells and I get hives...sneeze and itch. This may sound wierd but I swear I've even picked up on it from library books at times...itchy eyes. If I sit next to someone that has a cat my throat will just burn and itch.

 

[indimom]

12yo DD is allergic to cats also. Is it possible to move the cats outside?? Do you have a yard they could stay in? Our daughter really only has a severe reaction from indoor cats (I guess because the dander builds up inside and can't blow away with the breeze?). She has been around outdoor cats and seems to have little or no response as long as she doesn't play with them too much, keeps them away from her face and washes up after petting them. I know the outdoors would be difficult for cats raised inside, but this is the only option I see for possibly keeping them...

 

[Mouse House Mama]

12yo DD is allergic to cats also. Is it possible to move the cats outside?? Do you have a yard they could stay in? Our daughter really only has a severe reaction from indoor cats (I guess because the dander builds up inside and can't blow away with the breeze?). She has been around outdoor cats and seems to have little or no response as long as she doesn't play with them too much, keeps them away from her face and washes up after petting them. I know the outdoors would be difficult for cats raised inside, but this is the only option I see for possibly keeping them...

Ugh! That will not make your neighbors happy at all. Sorry but cats roam and nobody wants them pooping in their yard. On top of that if they are indoor cats it would be very hard and dangerous for them to suddenly be outdoor cats. I think it would be cruel. I would give the cats away. Sorry, but I would not even think about subjecting my child to shots and treatments when I could remedy the problem without doing that.

 

[liznboys]

I'm so sorry you're in that situation, I know it is hard.

We went through the same thing when my second son was about 18 months old. He was having issues with eczema so we had him tested for allergies. We found he had several, including cats, and we had one. We decided we had no choice but to do what was best for him, and remove our cat from our home. It was a tough thing to do, we all loved her! We were lucky enough to have a great place for her to go. Some family members who loved cats and already had 3 took her in and she was happy there.

I will be hoping that if you do decide to give your cats away, that you find a wonderful place for them. Best of luck!

 

[liznboys]

Indoor cats should always remain that way. The poor things would most likely end up sick/injured/killed if they were set free outside. It would be very cruel to do that.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I am somewhat in your position. My DS 10 is allergic to cats. Within 20 minutes he has hives and is itching. Benadryl helps but within 4 hours he has some breathing difficulties.

That said, he is not affected by our cat of 13 years. One theory is that she was around when he was born. Another theory is it is just the cat. Other allergic people have been in our house and been fine. She was from a litter of stray kittens found in a warehouse so no fancy pedigree!!

I have never not had a cat, so I am in mourning for the cats I will never have after Gracie is gone. Plus, my DD loves cats like me so she will never have another one until she is an adult. Luckily, my DS doesn't much care about cats.

Sorry your going through this.